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Favorite Books of Famous People and My Personal Favorites

Saturday, April 17, 2010

posted by Lee 11:41 AM

Books that inspired famous people. It just takes one good inspiration to set you off to achieve your dreams. There are three ways to leave a legacy and they are, write a book, have a baby or plant a tree. I added my favorite book to the list below as #11 which is my humor for the day….Lee

No matter what your major is, you’re probably less than inspired by a lot of your class textbooks. But reading is fundamental to the learning process, whether or not you stick to your college syllabus. Take a look at this list of inspirational leaders and the books that helped them find success and become teachers themselves.

John F. Kennedy: From Russia With Love, by Ian Fleming: Besides his political and liberal social reputation, President John F. Kennedy was known as a dashing ladies’ man who may or may not have had affairs with high-profile women like Marilyn Monroe. His weakness for the fabulous fast life is evident in his list of favorite books, too, which includes the 1957 James Bond thriller From Russia with Love, by Ian Fleming. This novel is the fifth in the James Bond series and involves counterintelligence twists among the British and Russians.

Warren Buffett: Essays in Persuasion, by John Maynard Keynes: American business and finance guru Warren Buffett is regarded as one of the most intrepid and profitable investors in the world, but he turns to John Maynard Keynes when he wants advice. British economist Keynes is still known as one of the modern leaders of economics and business, and his Essays in Persuasion discuss the necessity for government intervention in economics.

Bill Clinton: One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel One Hundred Years of Solitude was first published in 1967, is often taught in schools and is widely regarded as one of the finest pieces of modern literature, as well as one of the most popular. Former President Bill Clinton lists Solitude as one of his favorite books, too, enjoying its epic, highly symbolic story of the Buendia family.

Barack Obama: Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison: President Barack Obama has listed Morrison’s Song of Solomon as one of the top three books that truly inspired him. It’s touted as a lyrical novel that incorporates poetry and song as well as traditional prose to tell the story of Milkman and black culture in the American South.

Bill Gates: The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger: Though it was once banned after its first publication in 1951 J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is today one of the most widely read and commercially successful books in the entire world. Software pioneer and one of the richest men in the world Bill Gates is also a fan, saying that he has “read it so many times that [he] can quote large portions of it from memory.”

Laura Bush: The Brothers Karamazov, by Fydodor Dostoyevsky: Former First Lady and librarian Laura Bush championed children’s literacy while her husband was in office, but one of her favorite books is the dark and complex Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. The Russian masterpiece is a startlingly realistic portrait of life in Russia and of human nature and spirituality.

Oprah Winfrey: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee: Millions of Americans have followed Oprah Winfrey’s book club over the years, but the media magnate’s favorite book of all time is the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which many students read in junior high school. The socially significant novel — which was also turned into an Academy Award winning film starring Gregory Peck — tells the story of a Southern town divided over a court case condemning a black man of raping a white woman.

Ronald Reagan: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain: President Ronald Reagan left a strong legacy of economic strength and important diplomatic progress, but the former movie star fostered a child-like appreciation for adventure and excitement, naming Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer as one of his favorite books of all time. Twain’s novel is more than a children’s story, however. It’s also a clever social, political and cultural commentary on American life in the Antebellum South.

Rudolph Giuliani: Profiles in Courage, by John F. Kennedy: Although John F. Kennedy was a fan of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, he was also a respected author in his own right. His book Profiles in Courage inspired another high-profile leader in American politics, former New York City mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani. Profiles was actually written when Kennedy was still a senator, and the biography tells the stories of eight heroic senators — including John Quincy Adams, Sam Houston and Lucius Lamar — who stood up for their beliefs despite harsh criticism from their peers and the public. The book won a Pulitzer Prize.

Donald Trump: The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale: It would be hard to argue that businessman, reality TV star and real estate champ Donald Trump suffers from low self-esteem, and that could be to the credit of Norman Vincent Peale’s book The Power of Positive Thinking. Listed as one of Trump’s most inspirational reads, this book has sold over 7 million copies since it was first published in 2007. Its most powerful lesson helps readers rediscover faith in themselves.

Lee Cockerell: Creating Magic by Lee Cockerell: I have to admit that my favorite book of all times is my book CREATING MAGIC and my second most favorite book is my second book, THE CUSTOMER RULES. They are both written in way that presents leadership and customer service in an easy to understand format and teaches and inspires the reader to understand that they too can create magic and make dramatic improvements in customer service.

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